The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the opening of the 2023 tobacco marketing season are at an advanced stage, with the two auction floors and 34 merchants having been licenced to operate.
Those owing farmers for tobacco delivered last year have been asked to submit plans on how they will liquidate the debts.
According to the latest update from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, about 117 928 hectares were put under tobacco, with a seasonal projection of 230 million kilogrammes.
Guided by the crop assessment exercise in all tobacco producing regions, TIMB is anticipating high tobacco volumes this season, compared to last season’s 212 million kg.
Tobacco growers will this season be paid 85 percent of their sales proceeds in foreign currency and 15 percent in local currency.
Auction floors are expected to open on March 8 with contract tobacco sales beginning on March 9.
Tobacco stakeholders should utilise the booking system where sales will be done a day after booking to avoid congestion.
Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) spokesperson, Mrs Chelesani Moyo-Tsarwe said the regulating board has put in place stringent conditions to ensure that farmers are paid within the stipulated 48 hours.
“The board has a Contractors’ Compliance Administration Framework which compels all tobacco merchants and contractors to pay growers within 48 hours of sales completion. All contractors will be compliant with this framework, thereby smoothening business between the contractor and the grower,” she said.
Mrs Moyo-Tsarwe said contractors owing farmers for the tobacco delivered in 2022 will still have to pay.
“(This season) we have two auction floors and 34 merchants. Contractors owing farmers have submitted plans on how they will pay the farmers they are owing. TIMB will make sure all stakeholders in the tobacco industry pay what they owe for continued success,” she said.
TIMB is also urging tobacco growers whose tobacco bales are ready prior to the marketing season so shun side marketing as some middle-men are traversing tobacco growing communities enticing farmers with a few US dollars.
More than 200 farmers were arrested for side marketing last season.
TIMB is also campaigning against child labour in the sector under the motto ‘Children belong in school, not in the fields’.
In its fight against child labour, TIMB has been in tobacco producing areas to raise awareness against the harmful practice.
The campaigns are targeting school children and their parents.
“For the 2023 tobacco marketing season, we wish to encourage all growers to use the approved and authorised selling points for marketing their tobacco.
If they are found side marketing, they will face the long arm of the law,” she said.
Ethical Leaf Tobacco (ETL) spokesperson, Mrs Patience Mushore-Chizodza said they are ready for the marketing season.
ETL financed over 1 000 growers in the Eastern Region.
“We financed 1 000 hectares of tobacco and we are expecting 1,5 million kgs. We are urging farmers to sell their crop to the companies that supported them, and we strongly discourage side-marketing, which has the potential to kill this vibrant industry,” said Mrs Mushore-Chizodza.
She also said with the USD retention rate increased from 75 to 85 percent, coupled with the good prices anticipated this season, farmers do not have any reason to side-market their crop.
“This year has seen the country receiving normal to above-normal rainfall and the crop size is projected to hit 230million kgs, compared to last season’s national production of 212million kgs. The quality of the crop is high and we are confident that our farmers will get the best prices for their crop during the 2023 tobacco marketing season,” she said.
